Matt Johnson
While performance on the field is what will truly determine which teams made the best moves in the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s always worth examining how certain rosters improved this past weekend. This exercise does tend to favor teams with premium draft capital, but it also highlights how different some of these clubs could look this fall.
Let’s dive into our list of the NFL teams who we believe improved the most via the draft.
New York Jets
The New York Jets looked like one of the worst teams we’ve seen in the last decade-plus during the second half of the 2025 NFL season. Unsurprisingly, when you strip down the majority of your roster, there’s a lot of room to improve. We feel New York did an excellent job doing that in the NFL Draft.
In the first two rounds, there’s a great case to be made that New York came away with four starters. David Bailey can be an exciting No. 2 edge rusher for Aaron Glenn in 2026, D’Angelo Ponds found the perfect team to be utilized, and the Jets strengthened their passing game with the selections of playmakers Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. There will also be more depth on the defensive interior with Darrell Jackson Jr., and we’re intrigued to see how Glenn utilizes the size (6-foot-3) and speed (4.4 40-yard dash) of safety VJ Payne in a rotational role.
Related: Ranking Offensive NFL Rookie of the Year Candidates
Dallas Cowboys
It’s a popular opinion to say the Dallas Cowboys came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the best hauls. Our assessment is that this rookie class, in particular the top three picks, will prove instrumental in a noticeable one-year turnaround from this Cowboys defense. That step forward could also be the difference in potentially winning the NFC East.
While we don’t anticipate Caleb Downs performing like an All-Pro as a rookie, a Pro Bowl selection is on the table because of Christian Parker’s system. It’s lofty, given it took until the second season for Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to do that under Parker in Philadelphia, but a significant improvement defensively for Dallas makes it possible.
We also liked what the Cowboys did at edge rusher, bringing in Malachi Lawrence (23rd overall pick), Jaishawn Barham (92nd overall pick) and LT Overton (137th overall pick). Suddenly, pass-rushing depth might no longer be an issue for this team, and they’ve already upgraded the spine of their defense. We’ll also mention the fact that Dallas acquired linebacker Dee Winters, who if he stays healthy, is an upgrade over Kenneth Murray Jr. Jerry Jones and Co. made improving the defense their top priority, and we believe they succeeded.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sometimes it’s good to have fortune on your side in the 2026 NFL Draft. For whatever reason, edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. fell all the way to the 15th overall pick. We feel pretty confident in saying that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would’ve taken him with a top-eight selection if they were picking that high. He’s an immediate starter, shoring up a position that has plagued this Buccaneers defense for years. What makes the selection even better is the fact that Bain will be well-positioned to produce quickly because he’s joining a defensive line that features Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Tampa Bay’s defensive line could finally be a problem for other teams again, instead of the team’s problem.
Fittingly, in a draft where the Buccaneers addressed positions they’ve been weak at for several years, linebacker Josiah Trotter was the 46th overall pick. He was made for Tampa Bay’s defense, given his excellent ability to attack everything that happens in front of him. Dropping back in coverage is certainly an issue, but that’s clearly something this Buccaneers coaching staff is accustomed to dealing with at linebacker. Elsewhere on defense, Keionte Scott (116th overall pick) could be a nice nickel corner for the Buccaneers this season, and DeMonte Capehart provides some depth if Kancey goes down again.
Related: Best 2026 NFL Draft Classes
Kansas City Chiefs
Not only were the Kansas City Chiefs coming off their worst season since 2012, but they also moved on from corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. It’s not always an easy call to move on from an All-Pro cornerback, but it likely positioned Kansas City’s defense to improve over what we witnessed last year.
For everything that McDuffie did well, he had his limitations, and Mansoor Delane projects to be a better boundary corner who matches up well against bigger wide receivers. The Chiefs also finally found their future at defensive tackle, landing Peter Woods with the 29th overall pick. We know that Woods was a lot more flash than substance at Clemson, but he’ll have far better coaching in the NFL than he did at Clemson. While his ceiling might not be reached for a few years, he can make a real positive impact on the interior in 2026.
Plus, Kansas City added some pass-rushing depth on the edge with R Mason Thomas (40th overall pick). The history of the Chiefs coaching staff also gives us all the confidence in the world that Jadon Canady (109th overall pick) can develop into a quality rotational cornerback. Credit to Kansas City for going all in on improving defensively; it was needed.
Cleveland Browns
For as much flack as the Cleveland Browns organization gets publicly, general manager Andrew Berry knows how to identify talent. In our view, Cleveland came out with the top haul in the 2026 NFL Draft, and we’re intrigued to see both sides of the ball next season.
The focus, naturally, is on an offense that boasts a new left tackle (Spencer Fano) with two wide receivers (KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston) whose skills perfectly complement one another. While there isn’t a true ‘alpha’ receiver right now on this Browns offense, it doesn’t feel as necessary for the time being because there’s now a well-rounded group of playmakers to pair with tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Cleveland found a bargain at the 58th overall pick in landing safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who will make a name for himself as a rookie. Berry also seemed to learn from what can happen when you don’t have depth on the offensive line, adding swing tackle Austin Barber and center Parker Brailsford. While we may not believe Shedeur Sanders is the long-term answer in Cleveland, the right infrastructure is now in place to evaluate him.
Related: NFL Power Rankings, Evaluating Teams After 2026 NFL Draft
